This invention relates to apparatus for collecting and storing used metallic containers and, more particularly, machines for collecting, crushing and storing used aluminum beverage cans and for dispensing coins or tokens in exchange for beverage cans so collected.
With the increasing emphasis in recent years on energy conservation, the recycling of metallic containers such as beverage cans has become an important factor in the conservation effort. More specifically, the recycling of aluminum cans has proven to be remarkably efficient in energy saving. Yet only a fraction of the total annual production of aluminum beverage cans is recovered after use, with the remainder being discarded often as litter.
Several machines have been developed in the prior art for encouraging the recovery and recycling of metallic containers. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,857,334 and 3,907,087 disclose apparatus for crushing metallic containers and discharging refund coins or tokens in exchange therefor. U.S. Pat. No. Re. 27,643 describes a process and apparatus for collection of metal containers in which tokens are automatically dispensed for the containers collected. In general, the prior art machines induct any type of inserted container, and then utilize some type of sensing means for differentiating between those containers for which a token is to be dispensed and those containers for which no payment is to be made. For example, Arp, U.S. Pat. No. 3,857,334, includes control means for issuing a token only when cans of a given size, weight and design are crushed in the machine. Myers, U.S. Pat. No. Re. 27,643, discloses a mechanism which utilizes a plurality of bar magnets for separating cans formed of magnetic material from non-magnetic cans.
Several of the prior art apparatus are designed to take advantage of the shape of the container in feeding the metallic containers into the apparatus. This type of feeding mechanism has an inherent drawback in that the containers must be sufficiently close to their original shape to roll down an inclined surface. As a result, a large majority of containers which have been totally or partially crushed by the user, cannot be fed into such machines efficiently. In addition, the sensing or differentiating mechanisms of the prior art machines do not appear to be adaptable to operation on partially or fully crushed containers of different sizes.
Prior art machines utilize a variety of different mechanisms for crushing the collected containers. In general, these mechanisms utilize a large number of moving parts, or require a large crushing member such as that shown in Hanley et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,248,334.
Accordingly, it is a primary object of this invention to provide an improved container collection apparatus which is capable of readily accepting containers in their originally manufactured shape, or containers which have been manually deformed by consumers, and which efficiently accept and crush containers in one simple mechanical operation.
It is a further object of this invention to provide a container collection machine with a sensing mechanism which can readily detect the presence of aluminum containers of varying sizes, can do so prior to accepting the inserted container into the interior of the machine, and can also crush the container in one simple mechanical motion.
Another object of the invention is to provide an improved container collection apparatus with a mechanism for detecting the presence of aluminum containers which are not substantially empty, and for allowing those containers to bypass the crushing operation.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.